Susan Albright on MinnPosthttp://www.minnpost.com/author/65388/rss.xml
enTell us your experiences with late-in-life health carehttp://www.minnpost.com/health/2014/12/tell-us-your-experiences-late-life-health-care
<p><a href="/category/keywords/late-life-care"><img class="float-right" src="/sites/default/files/images/articles/LateInLifeCare350.png" width="350" height="245" /></a>Late-in-life health care takes many forms, posing different challenges for each person who experiences it — and for each friend and family member who goes through it alongside the patient. <strong>MinnPost wants to hear about your experience.</strong></p><p>We know that chronic illness — or a constellation of medical problems all at once — can cause a cascade of new needs, complications and worries late in life. The treatment period can go relatively smoothly, and it can also be frustrating and turbulent. Over time, the patient and family may have many ups and downs — things to be grateful for and things they wish were different.</p><p>Over the past several months MinnPost has published a&nbsp;<a href="http://www.minnpost.com/category/keywords/late-life-care">series of articles</a>&nbsp;about significant late-in-life issues, from disjointed health care to mobility concerns to patients facing the prospect of moving to assisted-living or nursing facilities.&nbsp;We have more stories coming this month — one about food and nutrition issues and two others that will explore the challenges faced by family/friend caregivers. Then we want to close the series with your personal stories.</p><p>A MinnPost questionnaire has a few prompts to get you started. We plan to publish a selection of readers’ experiences gathered from your responses. Please feel free to add insights or experiences that aren’t directly addressed in the questions.</p><p><strong>To share your experiences, go&nbsp;</strong><strong style="line-height: 1.5em;"><a href="http://www.minnpost.com/late-in-life-survey" target="_blank">here</a></strong><strong style="line-height: 1.5em;">&nbsp;to fill out the MinnPost questionnaire.</strong></p><p><a href="http://www.minnpost.com/late-in-life-survey" class="button" target="_blank">MinnPost late-in-life care questionnaire</a></p><p>Note that contact information is sought so that our editors can reach out to you if they have questions or to request a photo; only your name and city will be published if we choose your essay for publication.</p><p><em>This article is part of</em>&nbsp;<em><a href="http://www.minnpost.com/category/keywords/late-life-care" target="_blank">a yearlong examination of issues faced by late-in-life patients and their families</a>. The MinnPost project is funded through a regrant by Allina Health from the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.robinafoundation.org/index.php" target="_blank">Robina Foundation</a>.&nbsp;It is conducted in conjunction with media partners&nbsp;</em><em><a href="https://www.tpt.org/" target="_blank">TPT</a>&nbsp;and</em><em>&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ampers.org/misc/about-ampers/" target="_blank">Ampers</a>.</em></p><div style="width: 300px; margin: auto; margin-bottom: 10px;"><div class="minnpost-ads-ad minnpost-ads-ad-Middle "><script type="text/javascript">OAS_AD("Middle");</script></div></div>http://www.minnpost.com/health/2014/12/tell-us-your-experiences-late-life-health-care#commentsLate-in-life careThu, 11 Dec 2014 14:32:00 +0000Susan Albright90316 at http://www.minnpost.comAndy Steiner to cover mental health and addictionhttp://www.minnpost.com/inside-minnpost/2014/08/andy-steiner-cover-mental-health-and-addiction
<div class="image float-right"><img class="imagecache-article_detail" src="/sites/default/files/imagecache/article_detail/AndySteiner225.png" alt="" /></div><p>Today marks a transition in MinnPost’s <a href="http://www.minnpost.com/mental-health-addiction" target="_self">Mental Health &amp; Addiction coverage</a> as Twin Cities freelancer Andy Steiner takes over the beat from Sarah T. Williams.</p><p>Williams, who launched the blog in 2013, has taken an editing position at the Star Tribune.</p><p>Steiner’s work has appeared in many local and national publications, including Minnesota Monthly, Mpls St. Paul, Minnesota Law and Politics, the Star Tribune, the St. Paul Pioneer Press, Modern Maturity, Self, Fitness and Ms.</p><p>Before becoming a full-time freelancer, she worked as senior editor at Utne Reader and editor of the Minnesota Women’s Press.</p><p>She has published three books and contributed to two anthologies. Her latest book,&nbsp;“How to Survive: The Extraordinary Resilience of Ordinary People,” will be published this December by Minneapolis-based Think Piece Publishing.</p><p><span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5em;">Steiner's first MinnPost article is</span><span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5em;">&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.minnpost.com/mental-health-addiction/2014/08/john-turnipseed-getting-sober-takes-time-adjusting-and-finding-job-t" target="_blank" style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5em;">here</a><span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5em;">.</span>You can reach her via email at <a href="mailto:asteiner@minnpost.com">asteiner@minnpost.com</a>.&nbsp;</p>http://www.minnpost.com/inside-minnpost/2014/08/andy-steiner-cover-mental-health-and-addiction#commentsGreater MinnesotaTwin CitiesaddictionHealthmental healthWed, 27 Aug 2014 14:29:25 +0000Susan Albright88997 at http://www.minnpost.comOn the loss of Community Voices contributor Myles Spicerhttp://www.minnpost.com/community-voices/2014/07/loss-community-voices-contributor-myles-spicer
<div class="image float-right"><img class="imagecache-article_detail" src="/sites/default/files/imagecache/article_detail/MylesSpicer225.jpg" alt="Myles Spicer" title="Myles Spicer" /><div class="credit">Courtesy photo</div><div class="caption">Myles Spicer</div></div><p>Myles Spicer wrote MinnPost's very first Community Voices commentary — and many, many more. Though none of our staff had met Myles in person, we came to know him through his reliably spirited opinion pieces as well as nearly seven years of email exchanges. We were shocked and saddened to learn of his recent death in California.</p><p>It was last weekend that retired MinnPost news editor Don Effenberger sent me an email expressing surprise at a <a href="http://www.startribune.com/business/264833961.html#SBI0Vmk2D2r0a4Yw.97" target="_blank">Star Tribune article</a> and sharing the link to its obituary. Myles Spicer, it said, had been killed in a car accident on June 14.&nbsp;</p><p>Myles, who had retired, had been a snowbird — spending summers in Minnetonka and winters in warmer climes. But with the death of his wife and the sale of his business, he wrote to me in June of 2013, he'd sold his Minnetonka house as well and took up year-round residence in Palm Desert, Calif. He said he'd begun submitting commentaries to The Desert Sun there and was happy to be seeing them published.&nbsp;</p><p>So he'd be sending MinnPost fewer submissions, he wrote — but we still managed to publish another seven of his commentaries.&nbsp;</p><p>Myles followed national and international news avidly; <a href="http://www.minnpost.com/community-voices/2007/11/message-sen-amy-klobuchar-disaffected-democrat" target="_blank">his piece on MinnPost's first day</a> began, "As a disaffected Minnesota Democrat, I feel the strong need to take our new senator, Amy Klobuchar, to task for an incredibly disappointing vote: her recent vote on the renewal of FISA — the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act."</p><p>His last commentary for MinnPost, <a href="http://www.minnpost.com/community-voices/2014/06/tempest-over-bergdahl-deal-mostly-irrelevant" target="_blank">"Tempest over the Bergdahl deal is mostly irrelevant,"</a> was published June 10. A great one for interacting with commenters on his pieces, Myles last posted a comment on June 13, the night before his accident.&nbsp;</p><p>Fond of capital letters, ellipses, exclamation points and bold-faced type, Myles probably wondered why much of his work was translated into roman fonts and gentle italics, but he seemed to relish being edited. And I appreciated his willingness to occasionally insert himself — often in self-deprecating terms — into his writing, as in&nbsp;<a href="http://www.minnpost.com/community-voices/2012/01/dark-side-cyberspace-and-why-i-became-perpetual-pain-my-friends" style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5em;">"The dark side of cyberspace — and why I became a perpetual pain to my friends</a>" and <a href="http://www.minnpost.com/community-voices/2011/03/liberal-finally-ends-political-love-affair-obama" target="_blank">"A liberal finally ends a (political) love affair with Obama."</a></p><p>His emails frequently carried the same tone, as in this one last year: "Anyway, wrote this. Highly partisan. Kind of edgy. If you reject would understand fully."</p><p>Sometimes we did (he was prolific!). But <a href="http://www.minnpost.com/author/myles-spicer" target="_blank">his body of MinnPost writing is long</a>, and we will miss him.</p>http://www.minnpost.com/community-voices/2014/07/loss-community-voices-contributor-myles-spicer#commentsThu, 03 Jul 2014 15:45:05 +0000Susan Albright88324 at http://www.minnpost.comShare more of your views: MinnPost adds letters featurehttp://www.minnpost.com/inside-minnpost/2013/05/share-more-your-views-minnpost-adds-letters-feature
<p><img class="float-right" src="/sites/default/files/LetterToTheEditor300.png" alt="Letter To The Editor" width="300" height="200" />Want to share your views with MinnPost readers? We're offering another way to do it.&nbsp;</p><p>Since MinnPost's launch 5½ years ago, readers have posted comments at the end of stories, creating conversations of their own. But one thing has been missing: a way to express a quick opinion on issues that don't happen to be the subject of a MinnPost story, or to go beyond just commenting on a story. Readers could submit a 700-word essay for our Community Voices feature, but not a shorter, less formal letter.</p><p>(Interestingly enough, some readers have sent "letters to the editor" to MinnPost anyway, via email to various staff members. Unfortunately, those missives ended up in the great Internet ether.)</p><p>Starting today, letters submitted on our newly created online form will be contenders for publication.&nbsp;</p><p>If you'd like to submit a letter, simply fill out the form, and it'll land in our submissions queue. Editors will choose letters for publication, edit them (yes, these aren't "comments," but letters corrected for spelling, clarity, libel and the like) and publish them in MinnPost.</p><p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">One caveat: The MinnPost online form is the <em>only</em> way to submit your letters; we won't be accepting emails, faxes or paper submissions.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">You'll also note that the form asks for your name, city, phone number and email address. The first two will appear with the letter. The phone number and email address will not; they are there in case we need to verify that the letter is actually yours or to otherwise communicate with you.</span></p><p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">How will letters be chosen? We're looking for original letters on topics of current, general interest to MinnPost readers, expressed in 300 words or less (yes, the form will tell you how you're doing on the word count). As MinnPost commenters know, civility and a lack of name-calling help.&nbsp;</span></p><p>So have a go at it.</p><p><a class="button" target="_blank" href="http://www.minnpost.com/submit-letter">You'll find the letters form here</a></p>http://www.minnpost.com/inside-minnpost/2013/05/share-more-your-views-minnpost-adds-letters-feature#commentsMediaMinnPostThu, 16 May 2013 14:19:38 +0000Susan Albright81123 at http://www.minnpost.comWhat they’re saying: Implications and effects of Supreme Court’s health law decisionhttp://www.minnpost.com/health/2012/06/what-they%E2%80%99re-saying-implications-and-effects-supreme-court%E2%80%99s-health-law-decision
<p>It seems the entire universe of quotable people in politics, law, health care and the media was poised to respond instantly to this morning’s U.S. Supreme Court decision on the Affordable Care Act. Here is a roundup of some early analyses and reactions&nbsp;— both legal and political — from around the nation and in Minnesota, plus a consumer-friendly interactive feature showing how the decision might affect you.</p><p>Kaiser Health News analyst<strong> Stuart Taylor</strong> tells Jackie Judd&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Multimedia/2012/June/supreme-court-upholds-health-law-stuart-taylor.aspx">(video and text)</a> that the Affordable Care Act “will be implemented exactly as the architects had envisioned, except maybe Medicaid to some extent. In other words, it's upheld all the way. The question is: What's the source of constitutional authority? Why does it make a difference? It can make a difference in future cases. The gist is, the court says Congress can tax anybody, anytime, any way to support the general welfare. And they don't have to call it a tax. If it acts like a tax, it quacks like a tax, it doesn't have to be called a tax.” Taylor, who was in the courtroom at the time of the decision, also says, “It was the most amazing Supreme Court theater I’ve ever seen for 50-some minutes.”</p><p>At <a href="http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2012/06/cny_reaction_to_supreme_court.html">Syracuse.com</a>, <strong>Cornell University Law School professor Michael Dorf</strong>, a constitutional law expert and former law clerk for Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, said: "The Court's decision upholding the Affordable Care Act as a tax demonstrates the power of law. Although political and ideological factors invariably play a part in the decisions of Supreme Court Justices, a cross-ideological majority ruled today that the signal legislative accomplishment of a president's term should not stand or fall on whether Congress used the magic word 'tax.' "</p><p><a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2012/06/the-umpire-strikes-back-0151-and-the-affordable-care-act-survives/259104/"><strong>Legal analyst Andrew Cohen</strong> notes in The Atlantic</a> that, “In affirming the ‘individual mandate’ contained in the Affordable Care Act, in refusing to strike down other portions of the controversial health care law, the chief justice ... saved the chief executive of the United States, Barack Obama, from great political embarrassment. At the same time, the chief justice also perhaps spared the Court itself, as an institution, from being dragged further into the thick of partisan fury this election season.”</p><p>Cohen also says: “What we have here, then, is an answer to some of the constitutional questions raised by the Affordable Care Act. What we do not have here is a ruling that remotely suggests a bright future for the Commerce Clause, a sharp point Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg made from the bench on Thursday. Even in victory, she blamed the Court's majority for a "retrogressive reading" of the Commerce Clause&nbsp;— one that will likely come back around the next time a new federal law is challenged on this basis. This was no rout."</p><p><strong>In <a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/06/28/obamacare-supreme-court-ruling-john-roberts-changes-his-legacy.html">The Daily Beast, Robert Shrum notes</a> that Harvard Law School professor <a href="http://www.law.harvard.edu/faculty/directory/index.html?id=74">Laurence Tribe</a> correctly predicted the outcome</strong>, and talks about the decision’s implications for Justice John Roberts’ legacy. (Tribe told the New York Times, “This could be a huge day in the evolution of Chief Justice Roberts as a great chief justice." The Times story says, "Mr. Tribe, who taught Mr. Roberts, said he had not opposed his nomination because he believed Mr. Roberts was less of an ideologue than many charged. 'I have some sense of gratification,' he said.")</p><p>Ethan Bronner’s <a href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/28/a-re-examination-of-roberts-legacy/?hp">The Caucus blog</a> in the New York Times also addresses the Roberts legacy issue. And Paul Barrett, also commenting on Roberts’ role, writes at <a href="http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-06-28/the-john-roberts-i-knew">Businessweek</a> that the ruling “effectively sidestepped an opportunity to turn the Roberts Court into a political foe of President Obama’s reelection campaign.”</p><p>You'll find other legal scholars' reactions <a target="_blank" href="http://www.vpr.net/npr/155919089/">here</a>, including this from <strong>Richard Garnett, </strong>associate dean for faculty research and professor of law and political science at the University of Notre Dame and a former law clerk for the late Chief Justice William Rehnquist:</p><blockquote><p>"For people like me, interested in Federalism and judicial review of federal power, the decision had a lot of emphasis of how the Commerce Clause does have limits. The Medicaid expansion decision puts teeth into the notion that the federal government can't coerce states. At the end of the day, the act is upheld, and that's a win for the administration. But there was strong emphasis from Chief Justice Roberts on the continuing importance of Federalism, the continuing importance of judicial review."</p></blockquote><h4>Obama and the Republicans</h4><p>You can watch <strong>President Barack Obama’s reaction</strong> on this New York Times <a href="http://video.nytimes.com/video/2012/06/28/us/100000001634340/president-obama-on-scotus-ruling.html?hp">video</a>.</p><p><strong>Republican leaders have renewed calls to repeal the law</strong>. You can read a roundup of comments <a target="_blank" href="http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Home/Daily-Reports/2012/June/28/gop-reaction-to-supreme-court-decision.aspx">here</a>. Watch presidential candidate <strong>Mitt Romney's reaction</strong> <a target="_blank" href="http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/06/28/romney-reacts-to-health-care-ruling-renews-repeal-pledge/">here</a>.</p><h4><b>In Minnesota</b></h4><p>Gov. Mark Dayton released the following statement:&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><blockquote><p>“I am very pleased with the Supreme Court’s decision to fully uphold the Affordable Care Act.&nbsp; Today’s ruling will be met with relief by the Minnesotans whose lives have already been improved by this law.&nbsp; Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, affirmed by the Supreme Court today:</p><ul><li>&nbsp;Minnesotans can no longer be denied coverage for preexisting conditions.</li><li>Seniors pay less for prescription drugs</li><li>Small businesses will have affordable insurance options for employees</li><li>Young people can continue to be covered by their parents' health insurance until age 26.</li></ul><p>This ruling is also an affirmation of the reform efforts currently underway in Minnesota to improve the quality and lower the cost of health care.&nbsp;&nbsp; We have long been a national leader in healthcare reform –a reputation that will be enhanced as we work with private and public sector leaders to implement the Affordable Care Act in Minnesota.”</p></blockquote><p>And <strong>Human Services Commissioner Lucinda Jesson, Commerce Commissioner Mike Rothman, and Health Commissioner Ed Ehlinger</strong> released this statement:</p><blockquote><p>“We are pleased with the Supreme Court’s decision to fully uphold the Affordable Care Act. &nbsp; This ruling is an affirmation of the reform efforts currently underway in Minnesota to improve health and lower the cost of care. &nbsp;The ruling signifies real progress and important protection for citizens across Minnesota: affordable insurance for small business, young people can stay on their parents insurance until age 26, and guaranteed coverage for those with pre-existing conditions. Minnesota has always been a national leader in health care and the administration will continue efforts to increase quality and improve access to insurance and affordable care will continue.”</p></blockquote><p><strong>Speaker of the House Kurt Zellers</strong> released the following statement:</p><blockquote><p>“President Obama and Democrats in Congress have unleashed a massive expansion of government that will harm our economy every day until it is repealed. Obamacare contains at least 20 taxes totaling hundreds of billions of dollars that will smother the economy. Add to that the mandates, regulations, bureaucracy and massive costs and this bill will prove itself to be an unworkable disaster of proportions only government can create.</p><p>“Look no further than Minnesota’s medical device industry for how Obamacare will slam our economy and kill jobs. Innovative companies that employ highly-skilled workers in well-paying jobs will now be socked with a tax increase for their efforts. We are never going to reach our full economic potential when Democrats punish success in order to expand government.”</p></blockquote><h4>For consumers</h4><p><strong>To determine what the decision means for you:</strong> Try <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/politics/what-health-bill-means-for-you/">this interactive feature by the Washington Post,</a> based on your income, family size, etc.</p><p>And here is a <a target="_blank" href="http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2012/March/22/consumer-guide-health-law.aspx">health-law Q&amp;A </a>consumer guide from Kaiser Health News.</p>http://www.minnpost.com/health/2012/06/what-they%E2%80%99re-saying-implications-and-effects-supreme-court%E2%80%99s-health-law-decision#commentsGreater MinnesotaNationCourtsTwin CitiesElection 2012PoliticsThu, 28 Jun 2012 19:06:45 +0000Susan Albright71654 at http://www.minnpost.comMinnPost launches 'Books' http://www.minnpost.com/inside-minnpost/2012/06/minnpost-launches-books
<div class="float-right"><img src="/sites/default/files/images/articles/mp_goetzman_head.png" alt="Amy Goetzman illustration by Hugh Bennewitz" width="200" height="315" /><span class="credit">MinnPost/Hugh Bennewitz</span><span class="caption">Amy Goetzman</span></div><p>Today marks the debut of MinnPost's Books page, featuring an article on Anita Diffley’s memoir, "Turn Here Sweet Corn: Organic Farming Works," by Amy Goetzman. The Books page will replace MinnPost's Book Club Club.</p><p>Amy covered books for MinnPost during our first three years, and we are delighted to have her back. Her coverage of the Twin Cities literary scene will include reviews of new books, Q&amp;As with Minnesota authors and visiting writers, and items about writing and book-related events.</p><p>The Books page will also feature occasional relevant articles from The Christian Science Monitor.</p><p>In addition to her work for MinnPost, Amy has covered the arts for Architecture Minnesota, the Rake, City Pages, Star Tribune and Minnesota Monthly, as well as culture topics for Salon.com, The New York Times and Babble.com.</p><p>Look for her articles on Tuesdays and Thursdays.</p>http://www.minnpost.com/inside-minnpost/2012/06/minnpost-launches-books#commentsArtsGreater MinnesotaMidwest RegionCraft of WritingTwin CitiesAgricultureTue, 05 Jun 2012 13:19:00 +0000Susan Albright71154 at http://www.minnpost.comMapping stories: Our rural Minnesota youthhttp://www.minnpost.com/rural-minnesota/2012/05/mapping-stories-our-rural-minnesota-youth
<p><em>This marks the final week of MinnPost's yearlong series, <a target="_blank" href="../../../../../../../../rural-minnesota">Rural Minnesota: A Generation at the Crossroads</a>. The project was made possible by the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ottobremer.org/">Otto Bremer Foundation</a>.</em></p><p>From Lancaster in the far northwest to Lanesboro in the southeast, from wooded Grand Marais to windy Luverne, Minnesota's rural youth have opened their lives to MinnPost's readers. Our project has shared the words, faces and voices of young people through stories, youth blogs, video interviews and profiles.</p><div class="float-right"><a href="/rural-minnesota"><img src="/sites/default/files/images/articles/RuralMN400.png" alt="RuralMN a generation at the crossroads" width="190" height="126" /></a><span class="credit">Original image by msalmi78</span></div><p>Our diverse subjects have included high-school and college students, current and future farmers, musicians and actors, loggers and laborers, young people starting businesses, powwow dancers&nbsp;– and more.</p><p>We've profiled young people who look forward to city lives, and others who are determined to stay in the hometowns they love. We talked to immigrants who've settled in places like Willmar and Pelican Rapids, and learned of native youth who are rediscovering the Dakota language. We found our ever-articulate subjects at places ranging from the annual White Earth Powwow to the State Fair in St. Paul.</p><div class="float-left"><div class="minnpost-ads-ad minnpost-ads-ad-Middle "><script type="text/javascript">OAS_AD("Middle");</script></div></div><p>All were remarkably willing to share their joys and concerns, their appraisal of small-town living and their hopes and plans for the future. Gathering their stories were reporters Sharon Schmickle, Jeff Severns Guntzel, Steve Date, Gregg Aamot and John Fitzgerald.</p><p target="_blank" href="http://www.minnpost.com/rural-minnesota">Below is an interactive map, created by Guntzel and updated by Kaeti Hinck, that shows where the youth live who've been featured in our series. The counties shaded red are places we've visited or the home of someone who has been profiled or who wrote a guest post.&nbsp;</p><p target="_blank" href="http://www.minnpost.com/rural-minnesota">To read about their lives, click on a red-shaded county; a list of stories with links will appear.</p><p><iframe height="450" scrolling="no" src="http://www.google.com/fusiontables/embedviz?viz=MAP&amp;q=select+col1%3E%3E0%2C+col0%3E%3E0%2C+col2%3E%3E0%2C+col3%3E%3E0%2C+col4%3E%3E0%2C+col5%3E%3E0%2C+col6%3E%3E0%2C+col7%3E%3E0%2C+col8%3E%3E0%2C+col0%3E%3E1%2C+col1%3E%3E1%2C+col2%3E%3E1%2C+col3%3E%3E1%2C+col4%3E%3E1%2C+col5%3E%3E1%2C+col7%3E%3E1%2C+col8%3E%3E1%2C+col9%3E%3E1%2C+col10%3E%3E1%2C+col11%3E%3E1%2C+col12%3E%3E1%2C+col13%3E%3E1%2C+col14%3E%3E1%2C+col15%3E%3E1%2C+col16%3E%3E1%2C+col17%3E%3E1%2C+col18%3E%3E1%2C+col19%3E%3E1%2C+col20%3E%3E1%2C+col21%3E%3E1%2C+col22%3E%3E1%2C+col23%3E%3E1%2C+col24%3E%3E1%2C+col25%3E%3E1%2C+col26%3E%3E1+from+1060228+&amp;h=false&amp;lat=46.65697731621612&amp;lng=-93.36181640625&amp;z=6&amp;t=1&amp;l=col0%3E%3E1" width="640"></iframe></p>http://www.minnpost.com/rural-minnesota/2012/05/mapping-stories-our-rural-minnesota-youth#commentsGreater MinnesotaFri, 04 May 2012 20:00:00 +0000Susan Albright58791 at http://www.minnpost.comBook Club Blast participants share favorite readshttp://www.minnpost.com/books/2012/02/book-club-blast-participants-share-favorite-reads
<p>Earlier this month, MinnPost held the third annual Book Club Blast, featuring keynote author Kate DiCamillo and breakout sessions with local authors and book club experts.</p><p>The breakout session “Share Your Favorite Book Club Reads” — led by Highland Park&nbsp;librarian and book-club facilitator&nbsp;Barb Pierce and me —&nbsp;generated dozens of recommendations from attendees.&nbsp;</p><p>We've compiled the favorite titles shared at the Book Club Blast, beginning with those of the two workshop leaders:</p><p><strong>Susan Albright’s picks:</strong></p><p>“<a href="http://www.charlesbaxter.com/published_works/published_gryphonselected.htm" target="_blank">Gryphon</a>” by Charles Baxter&nbsp;</p><p>“<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10964693-the-marriage-plot" target="_blank">The Marriage Plot</a>” by Jeffrey Eugenides&nbsp;</p><p>“<a href="http://www.annpatchett.com/sow.html" target="_blank">State of Wonder</a>” by Ann Patchett<br />&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Barb Pierce’s picks:</strong></p><p>“<a href="http://www.sjwatson-books.com/beforeigotosleep/" target="_blank">Before I Go to Sleep</a>” &nbsp;by S.J. Watson</p><p>“<a href="http://mhpbooks.com/books/every-man-dies-alone/" target="_blank">Every Man Dies Alone</a>” by Hans Fallada</p><p>“<a href="http://www.roomthebook.com/" target="_blank">Room</a>” by Emma Donoghue<br />&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Attendees’ recommendations (in alphabetical order):</strong></p><p>“<a href="http://www.beneathamarblesky.com/index2.html" target="_blank">Beneath the Marble Sky</a>” by John Shors&nbsp;</p><p>“<a href="http://www.daytonliterarypeaceprize.org/2007-fiction_winner.htm" target="_blank">Birds in Fall</a>”&nbsp;by Brad Kessler&nbsp;</p><p>“<a href="http://sandrabenitez.com/bitter.html%20" target="_blank">Bitter Grounds</a>” by Sandra Benitez&nbsp;</p><p>“<a href="http://literati.net/Russell/marydoria-russell-books.htm" target="_blank">Dreamers of the Day</a>” by Mary Doria Russell</p><p>“<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilead_(novel)" target="_blank">Gilead</a>” by Marilynne Robinson&nbsp;</p><p>“<a href="%20http://eriklarsonbooks.com/the-books/in-the-garden-of-beasts/" target="_blank">In the Garden of Beasts</a>” by Erik Larson</p><p>“<a href="http://lisagenova.com/?page_id=7" target="_blank">Left Neglected</a>” by Lisa Genova&nbsp;</p><p>“<a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/rhpg/lovingfrank/" target="_blank">Loving Frank</a>” by Nancy Horan</p><p>“<a href="http://www.alanbrennert.com/Pg_Molokai.html" target="_blank">Moloka'i</a>” by Alan Brennert</p><p>“<a href="http://rusoffagency.com/authors/oliveira_r/myname/myname_is_marysutter.htm" target="_blank">My Name Is Mary Sutter</a>” by Robin Oliveira</p><p>“<a href="http://www.patconroy.com/my-reading-life.php" target="_blank">My Reading Life</a>” by Pat Conroy</p><p>“<a href="http://jimfergus.com/content/white_women.asp" target="_blank">One Thousand White Women</a>” by Jim Fergus</p><p>“<a href="http://www.bookbrowse.com/reviews/index.cfm/book_number/2328/sarahs-key" target="_blank">Sarah’s Key</a>” by Tatiana de Rosnay</p><p>“<a href="http://www.minnesotacrimewave.org/loons_book.html" target="_blank">The Silence of the Loons: Thirteen Tales of Mystery by Minnesota's Premier Crime Writers</a>”</p><p>“<a href="http://singingsolojaclynnherron.wordpress.com/2011/06/24/hello-world/" target="_blank">Singing Solo: In Search of a Voice for Mom</a>” by JacLynn Herron &nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>“<a href="http://readinggroupguides.com/guides_s/still_alice1.asp" target="_blank">Still Alice</a>” by Lisa Genova</p><p>“<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28756.The_Cheese_Monkeys" target="_blank">The Cheese Monkeys</a>” by Chip Kidd</p><p>“<a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/crown/devilinthewhitecity/home.html" target="_blank">The Devil in the White City</a>” by Erik Larson&nbsp;</p><p>“<a href="http://www.thefaithclub.com/thebook/index.php" target="_blank">The Faith Club</a>” by Ranya Idliby, Suzanne Oliver and Priscilla Warner</p><p>“<a href="http://margaretwurtele.com/about-the-book/" target="_blank">The Golden Hour</a>” by Margaret Wurtele</p><p>“<a href="http://rebeccaskloot.com/the-immortal-life/" target="_blank">The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks</a>” by Rebecca Skloot</p><p>“<a href="http://www.rusoffagency.com/authors/dean_d/madonnas/the_madonnas.htm" target="_blank">The Madonnas of Leningrad</a>” by Debra Dean</p><p>“<a href="%20http://www.sfsite.com/~silverag/russell.html" target="_blank">The Sparrow</a>” by Mary Doria Russell</p><p>“<a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Through-These-Veins/160375867346335" target="_blank">Through These Veins</a>” by Anne Marie Ruff</p><p>“<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/241823.Women_Who_Run_With_the_Wolves" target="_blank">Women Who Run With the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype</a>” &nbsp;by Clarissa Pinkola Estés</p><p><br />Below are additional recommendations from our Book Club Blast keynote author and interviewer:</p><p><strong>Sarah T. Williams</strong></p><p>“<a href="http://www.stephenking.com/library/nonfiction/on_writing:_a_memoir_of_the_craft.html" target="_blank">On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft</a>” by Stephen King<br />&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Kate DiCamillo</strong></p><p>“<a href="http://www.hmhbooks.com/hmh/bestamerican/nonrequired" target="_blank">Best American Nonrequired Reading</a>,”&nbsp;edited by Dave Eggers</p><p>“<a href="http://www.hmhbooks.com/hmh/bestamerican/essays" target="_blank">The Best American Essays</a>,”&nbsp;edited by Edwidge Danticat</p><p>“<a href="http://www.workman.com/products/9781565129863/" target="_blank">New Stories from the South</a>,”&nbsp;edited by Amy Hempel</p><p style="margin-bottom: 1em;">“<a href="http://www.vintage-books.co.uk/books/0099541092/alice-munro/selected-stories/" target="_blank">Selected Stories</a>”&nbsp;by Alice Munro</p>http://www.minnpost.com/books/2012/02/book-club-blast-participants-share-favorite-reads#commentsArtsBook Club BlastMon, 27 Feb 2012 20:47:36 +0000Susan Albright68940 at http://www.minnpost.comArts leader and memoirist takes novelistic turn with 'The Golden Hour'http://www.minnpost.com/minnpost-asks/2012/02/arts-leader-and-memoirist-takes-novelistic-turn-golden-hour
<p>Any Twin Cities theater- or concert-goer who peers at the program is likely to know the name Margaret Wurtele. She has served on several major arts boards and fund-raising efforts, and managed a charitable foundation. She and her husband, Angus, have been notable benefactors; they underwrote last fall's Minnesota Opera production of "Silent Night," for example. And Guthrie attendees have all learned to turn left off the escalator for the Wurtele Thrust Stage, named in their honor.</p><p>Readers of memoirs have also known that Margaret Wurtele is the author of two books of nonfiction, "Taking Root: a Spiritual Memoir" and "Touching the Edge: A Mother's Path from Loss to Life," which dealt with the death of her son, Phil, who was killed at age 22 while attempting to rescue a climber on Mount Rainier.</p><p>But now she has moved into new literary territory. On Tuesday, New American Library released her first novel, <a href="http://www.margaretwurtele.com/books" target="_blank">"The Golden Hour,"</a> and tonight she'll begin a round of readings – the first one at the Loft in Minneapolis.</p><p>Set in the vineyards of Tuscany during World War II, the novel is both a coming-of-age story and the depiction of a village's (and family's) divergent and sometimes shifting responses to the Nazi occupation. It's also a love story, rooted in the resistance and fueled by danger.</p><p>To learn more, MinnPost caught up with the author for a conversation about the book. It was during a visit to Italy a few years ago, Wurtele said, that she heard stories about the experiences of her host's family during and after the war. And while there, the Tuscan hills and vineyards reminded her of the land and winery, <a title="Terra Valentine Winery" href="http://www.terravalentine.com/" target="_blank">Terra Valentine</a>, that she and her husband own in California, where they spend part of each year. Here are excerpts of the interview.</p><p><strong>MinnPost:</strong> <strong>You've been a key leader in arts circles for many years</strong> — <strong>as a patron, a foundation manager, a development person; you've also written memoirs. But a <em>novel</em></strong> — <strong><em></em>now, at a time in your life when you might be thinking, 'Well, we have this winery, I'm busy on boards, maybe we could begin to slow down a little ...' Why a novel</strong> — <strong>how did that come about?</strong></p><p><strong>Margaret Wurtele:</strong> I didn't set out to write a novel, actually. I had written the two memoirs, which were both compelling at the time for what was going on in my life. I never thought of myself as a writer. I'd always kept journals — then I went back to Hamline in my 40s and took a master's in liberal studies. I took a lot of writing classes, and I found that I <em>loved</em> writing. And so then, when I started going through ... first of all, having grown up with my parents in a completely secular environment, then deciding I wanted a spiritual life — that was my thesis at Hamline. My professor said, "When you're out of here I want to make this a book." I had asked him if I could do a series of journal entries — so that became the first book. Then when Phil was killed, it seemed like this was the logical way for me to deal with it — you know, about a year, two years later. I had three journals full of my raw reactions to it all, just because that's the way I deal. ... And I thought, you know, I'm going to reflect now — to make it into more of a story. But my writing had been my way of coping. I had written a couple of short stories for fun — they've never seen the light of day. …</p><div class="image_component right original float-right" id="component_1435431"><img src="/sites/default/files/images/articles/TheGoldenHour_212x318.jpg" width="212" height="318" /></div><p>So then we were on a trip to Italy, and to this day I don't really understand what made it so compelling for me. But we were invited to have lunch at an estate where our friends got their olive trees for Sonoma. This guy was really nice … and at the end of the lunch he started reminiscing. There we were at this villa — his mom grew up there. During the last year of the war they were forced to live in small rooms at the back. After the war she fell in love with the translator for the Allied troops that had liberated them. But her father didn't want her to marry him because he was Jewish. I remember just thinking — the <em>irony</em> of that, the outrage — after all the Nazis had done to them, for him to just <em>play their game</em>. … I came out of there burning to fictionalize this.</p><p>I had to learn about fiction. … I took a class at the Loft; I got somebody to help me with the first few chapters. She kept saying, "No, no, no, no, <em>no</em>. This is narration; you've done that before. Fiction is scene and dialogue. You can't <em>tell</em> the story; you need to <em>show</em> the story." Finally, after about five chapters of writing each one over and over again, I said good-bye. …</p><p><strong>MP: The depiction of place in "The Golden Hour" is very striking. Did you go back and spend more time in Italy? </strong></p><p><strong>MW:</strong> I did not go back there. In fact, I forbade myself to go back. Because I had such a clear sense of it — in terms of the fictional town, the arrangements of the villas and so forth. But there were several books that were so helpful to me. One of them was actually written in the '50s, and it was called "A Farm in Chianti." It wasn't in that part of Tuscany, but it was about the agricultural year. That was helpful. But the main thing is — and at my reading I'll show some slides — it's so much like our environment in Napa, the whole thing of the vineyards, the olive trees, the agricultural rhythm of it all. It's so much a part of our life there that that was probably why the sense of place comes through — they're so much alike.<strong></strong></p><p><strong>MP: I was intrigued by the different responses the various characters had to the fascists, to the Germans</strong> — <strong>and how it was so difficult to ascertain whether someone could be trusted. Did you have more to go on about the way people responded to the Germans during the war? About the resistance?</strong></p><p><strong>MW:</strong> Several things. There was a book called "The Italians and the Holocaust" by Susan Zuccotti. She talked in there about how so many of the Jewish businessmen initially were part of the fascist party — they were nationalists first. I guess the Jews were so much more integrated into Italian society than in France or some other countries. So they were just blind to what was happening. Some of the racial laws came into play in the late '30s, but until then many thought, "We're going to be fine. ... He [Mussolini] is just doing this to get along with Hitler. He knows we fought for national unification, and he's grateful to us."</p><p>The father character [in the book] kept switching allegiance. You could kind of see that; they were afraid [the Nazis] were going to win, and then . ... You wonder, "What would <em>I </em>be?" It was a very complex area; I had no idea what I would be getting into.</p><p><strong>MP: "The Golden Hour" was a maturation story, a love story, a family-dynamic story ...</strong></p><p><strong>MW:</strong> Yes, kind of a family reconciliation story in the end. But I think that was what kept me going — in terms of sticking with this project. Because I became so fascinated with the history — trying to imagine my way into it.</p><p><strong>MP: Another thing that intrigued me</strong> — <strong>I happened to be reading the book while I was watching "Downton Abbey." I was thinking of Mary and Edith in "Downton Abbey"</strong> — <strong>and your young Giovanna. None of them was very likable in the beginning. Giovanna seemed so careless; the same was true of Mary and Edith in the show ... but they all grew.</strong></p><p><strong>MW:</strong> I really didn't think about it in advance. ... She just kind of was who she was. That whole thing with the Nazi soldier — you know how that got started? These things are so random. In a writing class [our teacher] asked us to think about our first job. My first job was at a school in the summer. So I started writing and, oddly enough, the first scene, when the Nazi soldier comes in, came almost word for word from that exercise. So much of it flowed from that. ... You just can't predict these things. But I was definitely rooting for her the whole way. I saw her as being a strong person. I did know the general arc — that she was going to have to face down her father.</p><p><strong>MP:</strong> <strong>One of the other interesting characters was the woman who ran the resistance hospital.</strong></p><p><strong>MW:</strong> She was modeled on a real person — Iris Origo. She was in a different situation, but she was a similar character. She lived on the other side of Italy. She was English-American, and she married an Italian from a good, old family. She wrote a wonderful journal about the war, called "War in Val D'orcia." She had a school for young children. I had the Marchesa doing a clinic. She was definitely inspired by Iris Origo. Now a new biography of Origo has come out. She was a very cultured, interesting woman — and, again, so courageous to defy the occupation around her.</p><p><strong>MP: You have a reading coming up [tonight] … </strong></p><p><strong>MW:</strong> Two — the other one is the next night, in Wayzata. I'm nervous about those — I just finished reading Pat Conroy's book, "My Reading Life." He says, "Writers reading from their work is like watching snails race"!</p><p><strong>MP:</strong> <strong>So now that you have one novel under your belt, do you have plans for another</strong> — <strong>or are you working on another one? </strong></p><p><strong>MW:</strong> You know, at the moment, I'm kind of going back to memoir mode. I've had a book stewing for a long time about the founding of the winery, and it's going to be kind of a meditation on aging, following the rhythm of the year in a winery. … I would love to write another novel, but I am waiting — it has to be a lightning strike again, where I just say, "This is it." Because it takes so much time, so much work. And for me, writing is so hard. I am an action person, an extraverted person. So sitting down at a desk with that blank page is the hardest thing for me ... any distraction will do — <em>anything</em>. … So I know that I need it to be the right idea. [Writing "The Golden Hour"] was fun — in so far as it was not hideously <em>hard</em>.</p><h4>Upcoming readings:</h4><p>Wednesday,&nbsp;Feb. 8, 7 p.m., The Loft Literary Center, <a href="https://www.loft.org/calendar-daily-view?date=2/8/2012" target="_blank">Loft Literary Center at Open Book</a>, 1011 Washington Avenue South, Minneapolis.</p><p>Thursday, Feb. 9, 7 p.m., <a href="http://www.bookcaseofwayzata.com/" target="_blank">The&nbsp;Bookcase at Wayzata Community Church</a>, 125 Wayzata Boulevard East, Wayzata.</p>http://www.minnpost.com/minnpost-asks/2012/02/arts-leader-and-memoirist-takes-novelistic-turn-golden-hour#commentsCraft of WritingMargaret WurteleWorld War IIWed, 08 Feb 2012 16:05:00 +0000Susan Albright68335 at http://www.minnpost.comMax is moving on, but new arts features are cominghttp://www.minnpost.com/inside-minnpost/2012/01/max-moving-new-arts-features-are-coming-0
<p>As Max Sparber notes in <a href="http://www.minnpost.com/maxsparber/2012/01/13/34312/adieu_from_max" _mce_href="http://www.minnpost.com/maxsparber/2012/01/13/34312/adieu_from_max">"Adieu from Max"</a> today, this marks the end of MinnPost's Max About Town feature. We will miss Max's take on Twin Cities arts and culture, from quirky arts history and properly made cocktails to the latest doings at the Walker. But he is off to warmer climes and an obviously vibrant arts scene in L.A., so we have made new plans we'd like to share.</p><p>Beginning Jan. 19, Pamela Espeland will broaden her writing for MinnPost, launching a newsy, twice-weekly arts column that will focus on arts institutions, personalities, performances, money and arts politics. It will&nbsp; encompass all manner of arts – theater, museums, music, film, festivals, dance, puppets, touring shows – you name it.</p><p>Pamela has been our jazz specialist since MinnPost's launch. But since then she has branched out, writing for us about dance, theater, music, arts personalities and more. We are excited about this new column, which will run on Tuesdays and Thursdays each week.</p><p>On Wednesdays we'll feature a new writer to MinnPost: Andy Sturdevant, who has crafted a column called "The Stroll." In it he'll describe interesting, newsworthy or otherwise notable visual art-related objects or events around the Twin Cities, with each piece focused on one geographic area — a part of town, a neighborhood, or even a few blocks within a neighborhood.</p><p>He'll draw readers' attention not only to traditional works of visual art contained within this geographic area, but also to craft, architecture, design, street art, public art, advertising, fashion, or furniture design — anything a person could walk by and have a look at. Each column will include a hand-drawn map.</p><p>Not long ago, Andy was the subject of <a href="http://www.minnpost.com/maxsparber/2011/11/22/33328/being_andy_sturdevant_salon_saloon_at_bryant_lake_bowl" _mce_href="http://www.minnpost.com/maxsparber/2011/11/22/33328/being_andy_sturdevant_salon_saloon_at_bryant_lake_bowl" target="_blank">a Max About Town piece</a>. He is a painter and arts journalist who also works at Springboard Arts, writes beautifully — and really gets around the arts scene. He hosts the "<a href="http://www.salonsaloon.info/upcoming/" _mce_href="http://www.salonsaloon.info/upcoming/" target="_blank">Salon Saloon</a>" at Bryant-Lake Bowl, an event Max described as "an eclectic, themed night in which Sturdevant brings a series of guests onto the BLB stage either to interview them or to have them present something. ... you can never be certain what will be on the bill at 'Salon Saloon,' except that it will be unexpected and fascinating."</p><p>We expect "The Stroll" to be likewise unexpected and fascinating. Look for it on Wednesdays, beginning Jan. 25.</p><p>And, of course, we will continue to publish the work of our current arts writers, including Jim Walsh, Michael Anthony, Britt Robson — even Max, on occasion, as he promises to pen the now-and-then post from our new "Hollywood Bureau."</p>http://www.minnpost.com/inside-minnpost/2012/01/max-moving-new-arts-features-are-coming-0#commentsFri, 13 Jan 2012 22:18:55 +0000Susan Albright68153 at http://www.minnpost.com